Stephen Coco was sentenced to one year in prison for a hit-and-run crash in which he injured two Bedford teens. But he was allowed to return home on work release after serving 72 days in jail.

Coco was released under a state statute that gives jail superintendents discretion to determine whether an inmate should be released for the purposes of work after serving at least 14 consecutive days in jail. But the decision drew criticism, and prosecutors called for a judicial review.

In her ruling ordering Coco to return to jail, Judge Gillian Abramson called his release inappropriate because work release is a rehabilitative program, and Coco was in jail for punishment, not rehabilitation.

"This is a defendant who requires punishment and deterrence, goals of sentencing not served or met by release after just 72 days in jail," Abramson wrote. "His conduct merits nothing less than the original sentence imposed."

Coco was back in jail Friday, officials confirmed.

Abramson said allowing Coco to continue in the work release program was functionally equivalent to being released from custody. He did have to check in with corrections officials daily and was subject to drug and alcohol checks.

Coco's attorney, Mark Howard, said the superintendent's decision should be respected.

"(Coco is) obviously very disappointed," Howard said. "He thought he had proved himself to the superintendent and deserved to be in their program. The superintendent felt the same way, so obviously he is disappointed, and his family is disappointed and upset."

Howard filed for a stay of the decision and said in the motion that he will ask for an expedited appeal of the decision to the state Supreme Court.

Howard said Coco should be put back into work release while the appeal is filed because the appeal process could take so long that even if the Supreme Court rules in his favor, he would end up serving the bulk of his sentence in jail.

The motion said the appeal will focus on whether Abramson's decision violates the principal of separation of powers.

In her decision, Abramson discussed the part of the law that allows a judge to examine a superintendent's decision if the prosecutor objects to it and asks for a hearing.

She said sentencing is a function of the judicial branch, and it's appropriate for the court to review actions to make sentences are appropriately carried out.

Under state law, Coco will be credited with serving 107 days of his sentence -- the 72 days he served in jail and the 35 days he was on the work release program.

OUT AFTER SERVING 72 DAYS OF HIS YEAR-LONG SENTENCE. ANDY HERSHBERGER WITH OUR TOP STORY AT SIX. THE JUDGE WHO PUT THEM THERE OVERREACHED HER AUTHORITY. FORMER MANCHESTER POLICE OFFICER IS BACK BEHIND BARS TONIGHT. SURRENDERING TO AUTHORITIES THIS MORNING. THIS FOLLOWS A COURT ORDER ON THURSDAY BY JUDGE GILLIAN ABRAMSON, WHO SAYS HE SHOULD NOT BE RELEASED ON A DAY REPORTING PROGRAM AFTER SERVING ONLY 72 DAYS OF A ONE-YEAR SENTENCE IN JAIL. HE FELT HE PROVED HIMSELF TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND DESERVED TO BE ON THIS PROGRAM. OBVIOUSLY HE IS VERY DISAPPOINTED AND HIS FAMILY IS VERY DISAPPOINTED. IN MARCH HE PLED GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS FOR RUNNING OVER TO TEENAGERS IN BEDFORD AND SENTENCED TO 12 MONTHS IN JAIL. HIM THE HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS SUPERINTENDENT DETERMINED HE QUALIFIED FOR RELEASE UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS. PROSECUTORS OBJECTED. AT HEARING WAS HELD THIS WEEK. HOWARD SAYS THE COURT OVERSTEPPED ITS BOUNDS. IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO JUDGES SENTENCING PEOPLE AND THE HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS AND THE PRISON ADMINISTERS THOSE SENTENCES. OF A RELEASE PROGRAM IS AN ADMINISTRATION OF THE SENTENCE. A WHILE COCO RETURNS TO JAIL, HOWARD IS GOING TO COURT TO WORK ON APPEAL. THIS MORNING I FILED A MOTION TO STAY HER ORDER PENDING AN EXPEDITED REVIEW. IN THE NEXT UP IS TO CONVINCE THE SUPREME COURT TO TAKE THE CASE ON AN EXPEDITED BASIS.